


tiny little circular burns

by TheThirdTemptationOfParis



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Post MAG 169, Scars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:40:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24671716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheThirdTemptationOfParis/pseuds/TheThirdTemptationOfParis
Summary: After leaving the realm of Jude Perry and the Desolation, Martin spent a significant amount of time absentmindedly rubbing his wrists and forearms. Jon left it alone for what would have qualified as a day and a half if the world still turned. It was during another period of rest that he decided to broach the subject. Martin had been leaning against a rock, his wrist in his hand, thumb rubbing absently over the knob at the base of his palm.“Martin,” Jon whispered, inching slightly closer. Martin hummed in response, “Are you alright? You’re not hurt, are you?”“Hm? What? No, I’m fine. Just a little distracted.” He pulled down his sleeve and wrapped his arms around his knees.The reason why Martin hates fire.
Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist
Comments: 18
Kudos: 143





	tiny little circular burns

After leaving the realm of Jude Perry and the Desolation, Martin spent a significant amount of time absentmindedly rubbing his wrists and forearms. Jon left it alone for what would have qualified as a day and a half if the world still turned. It was during another period of rest that he decided to broach the subject. Martin had been leaning against a rock, his wrist in his hand, thumb rubbing absently over the knob at the base of his palm.

“Martin,” Jon whispered, inching slightly closer. Martin hummed in response, “Are you alright? You’re not hurt, are you?”

“Hm? What? No, I’m fine. Just a little distracted.” He pulled down his sleeve and wrapped his arms around his knees.

“Martin…” he whispered again, inching even closer, reaching out for Martin’s hand, “let me see? Please?”

Martin hesitated for a long moment, his fingers closing tightly around the fabric of his now stained trousers. He sighed deeply, closed his eyes, and pushed up both of his sleeves. Small, circular scars littered the skin of Martin’s forearms, stopping at his elbow. They weren’t the same scars that covered Jon’s body, the ones made from Martin’s quick thinking and a corkscrew, but rather ones more typical of burns. Cigarette burns…

“They were always the closest thing she had on hand…”

Jon stayed silent as Martin stared at one dead center in the crook of his left elbow, “That’s the first one. I was four and a half. I can’t remember exactly what I did to make her so angry, I just remember her yelling and then picking up the still smoldering cigarette butt from the ashtray on the kitchen table. Weirdly, I can’t remember exactly what it felt like, but at four and a half, I think I was convinced that I was dying.”

“Jesus, Martin I had no idea,” Jon said, carefully pulling one of Martin’s arms toward him.

“No, you wouldn’t, would you? Long sleeves are a blessing.” He laughed without humor and let his arm relax in Jon’s hands, “Some of them are um… are from my own hand. I… I had a rough go of it in sixth form before I dropped out. Nicotine, alcohol, and tiny little circular burns reminded me I was alive, for whatever that was worth.”

“And I took you into a burning building… I stood there taunting Jude Perry while you choked on smoke. Christ, Martin.”

Jon guided Martin’s hand to his lips, kissing the scars he could reach. He moved slowly up Martin’s arm until he reached that first scar in the crook of his left elbow. He held himself there, his mouth pressing a million apologies into Martin’s skin. Martin’s hand cupped the back of Jon’s skull, fingers woven in the tendrils of his hair.

“It’s alright, Jon. You were right. Jude hurt people, she hurt you—“

“I still shouldn’t have done it. When I saw how hesitant you were, nothing else should have mattered. I said it even before we went in, my revenge isn’t as important as you.” Jon’s shoulders began to shake as he fully realized the magnitude of what he’d done.

“Alright, love, alright. Come here.” Martin pulled him up to his chest, sheltering him in his arms, “You gave me a choice and I still left it up to you. You did what you thought was right and now one more post-apocalyptic criminal is out of the way. I can’t and won’t hold that against you.”

“I’m sorry, Martin.”Jon whispered, tucking further into Martin’s embrace.

“It’s alright, Jon. I forgive you.”

They both held each other a little bit tighter after that. Not possessive, just present. And it was a comfort in that broken, unturning world.


End file.
